Overview

• Asked about a planned Chicago honor for Sen. Dick Durbin, Pope Leo said support for the death penalty or for "inhuman" treatment of immigrants calls a pro‑life claim into question.
• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected his characterization, saying she would not accept that immigrants are treated inhumanely in the United States under the current administration.
• Durbin declined the lifetime award following criticism, and roughly ten U.S. bishops publicly opposed the plan, including Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and Bishop Thomas Paprocki.
• Conservative Catholic figures and MAGA‑aligned influencers such as Matt Walsh and Jack Posobiec denounced the pope’s remarks, signaling a widening rift with right‑leaning constituencies.
• Leo further irritated critics after participating in a climate conference where he urged environmental action and blessed ice, reinforcing perceptions of continuity with Francis on social teaching.